Bill hits a snag

Farm funding holds up bill to avert government shutdown.

WASHINGTON— House Democrats on Friday prepared a temporary spending bill that is needed to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month — and that would allow lawmakers to leave Washington to campaign.

It’s a lowest-common-denominator, bare-minimum measure that befits a deeply polarized Congress. Even so, it took intense efforts at the highest levels of Washington to finish the package after undergoing . It wasset to be released Friday after a last-minute negotiating flurry Friday afternoon. Republicans denied Democratic requests involving the census and election administration grants. What remains is not controversial and includes provisions that would extend federal highway and flood insurance programs, along with a variety of other low-profile items.

And, as previously announced, the bill does not contain COVID-19 relief, leaving that issue in all likelihood for a post-election lame duck session — or for the next administration.

Pelosi, D-Calif., and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin negotiated the measure, which would keep the government open through Dec. 11. Democrats had proposed next February, apparently to avert any need to reconvene Congress after the election to deal with Trump, who they predict will lose his bid for a second term in November.

Aides involved in the talks said Pelosi initially denied anadministration request to add normally routine flexibility to rules governing Trump’s farm bailout efforts, freezing his ability to dole out subsidy paymentsuntil after the election. That prompted TrumponFridaytoblast his nemesis on Twitter: “Pelosi wants to take 30 Billion Dollars away from our great Farmers. Can’t let that happen!”

Pelosi relented at the last minute, the aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity.